Elder Flower and Elder Berries – Monograph

Common Name – Elder

Botanical Name – Sambucus Nigra

Parts Used – Fruits and Flowers

Active Constituents – Flavonoids, such as Quercetin and others

So what can elder be used for?

Elder flowers seem to have more therapeutic aspects then the Elder Berries.

Elder Flowers - stimulate and balance the immune system (meaning they can be used to help with infection and allergies), act as an anti-inflammatory, have anti bacterial properties and is considered to be a lung tonic.

Elder Berries – are good for all problems of the upper respiratory tract and contain anti-oxidants.

Sambucol is a elderberry extract that was discovered by an Israeli scientist. It has been found to be greatly effective against all kinds of flue and cold.
Note –fresh elderberries and elderberry juice is slightly toxic, but when cooked they are harmless.

Contraindications

Both flowers and berries are considered to be safe even for pregnant and lactating women


 

Natural Remedies for Hair Loss

For a lot of people hair loss is a very bothersome thing. The fact is that it has a lot to do with genetics but there must be something that you can do to either slow or stop the process.

My suggestion to people that are trying to stop the thinning and loss of their hair is two basic things.

1. Start taking a good multivitamin and mineral with a high concentration of B complex vitamins
   
2. Start using a herbal shampoo that contains rosemary oil
   

These two things are to help the whole of the body to be healthier and to increase blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles.

Another technique that could be helpful is to run the hottest water you can handle over your head and then the coldest water possible. Repeat this 4 or 5 times. This process is known as aqua therapy and is meant to increase blood flow to the hair follicles.

Other herbal remedies for hair loss:

Bhringaraj oil – this Ayurvedic medical herb is famed to help prevent hair loss, graying and dandruff.

Saw Palmetto (Men Only) – Because of its ability to balance testosterone levels it is believed to help prevent hair loss in men.

Nettle Root Extract – Contains vitamins and minerals which are important to healthy hair.

Jojoba oil – has been used to prevent hair loss and dandruff.

Aloe Vera – Is popular in the Caribbean and amongst Native Americans to promote healthy hair and prevent hair loss.

Good luck and let me know if you try something if it works or not.

 

 

Hawthorn - Monograph

Common Name – Hawthorn

Botanical Name – Crataegus

Parts Used – fruits, flowers and leaves

Active Constituents – tannins, flavonoids, oligomeric proathocyanidins (OPCs), flavone-C, triterpene acids and phenolic acids.

So what is Hawthorn good for?

Therapeutic properties of Hawthorn - antispasmodic, cardiac, sedative, vasodilator.

Hawthorn is a good herb for all problems related to the heart. It could be used for both high and low blood pressure. Hawthorn may be helpful to people who have high cholesterol. Hawthorn is also good for nervousness and sleeplessness.

Dosage

Standardized herbal extract of hawthorn should be taken in amounts of 80-300 mg two or three times a day.

Hawthorn tinctures should be administered at a dosage of 100 drops two times a day.

How do you make tea from hawthorn fruits?

Boil two tea spoons of dry fruit in one and a half cups of water for five minute. The tea should be drunk twice a day.

Contraindications

No interactions with drugs are known. Hawthorn is considered to be safe even for pregnant and lactating women.

Clinical trial shows Hawthorn to be beneficial in the treatment of chronic heart failure.


 

 

 

Valerian Root - Monograph

Common Name – Valerian Root

Botanical Name – Valeriana Officianalis

Parts Used – Root and Rhizome

Active Constituents – alkaloids, isovaleramide, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), isovaleric aid, sesquiterpenes, flavanones.

So what can Valerian Root be used for?

Valerian root in my opinion is one of the best herbal sedatives. It can be useful in the treatment of anxiety sleep disorders, stress, IBS and also may be helpful for epilepsy sufferers.

Valerian root may also help people to get off of benzodiazepine drugs, but this should only be tried under the supervision of you`r doctor.

How to make valerian root tea - for a strong effective tea I boil one tablespoon of valerian root in one and a half cups of water for five minutes.

I have been told that this is not the proper way to make the tea. But the proper preparation method is to add the herbs to warm water in the morning and let them sit for the day and drunk in the evening.

Valerian Root can also be taken in tincture and pill form (follow the directions on the label)

Contraindications – valerian root has been found to be very safe. It should not be taken before driving or operating heavy machinery. Valerian root should also not be taken consistently for a period longer than six months.

Chamomile Tea for Eye Infections

As I have mentioned before I am not at all against using western medicines such as antibiotics and the like when they are necessary. And eye infections are one of those cases where I don't hesitate very long to use a antibiotic topical ointment to get rid of the problem quickly. But this last time that my one year old had a eye infection by the time we went to the doctor and picked up the prescription the eye was already 90% cleared up and the only thing we used was Chamomile tea.

So what happened? On Friday my son woke up with a bit more eye gunk then usual and by Friday night it was already bad. Very clear that he had an eye infection. So on Saturday I started to treat the eye with a strong chamomile tea. Now chamomile tea is very gentle, as one can tell even just by the taste of it. So it doesn't irritate the eye.


Very important note some people are allergic to chamomile!! If you don't know if you, your child or a friend is allergic you can check. Make a strong tea with two tea bags or two teaspoons of loose chamomile, add it to a cup of boiling water and let it steep for five minutes. With a cotton ball put a good amount of the tea on the inside of your elbow, where the skin is sensitive (but it's better than in the eye). If no redness or irritation accurse within an hour you should be fine.

Now beside for being gentle it is also a very effective anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial herb.

So how do you treat an eye infection with chamomile?

You prepare a strong tea as explained above and apply it to the eye with a cotton swab or cotton ball. The thing is that you need to do this about twenty times a day for it to be effective. But it is effective by the time we took our soon to the doctor and got his prescription on Sunday afternoon the swelling had gone down and the fluids had stopped draining. But only because my wife was the number one nurse that put the chamomile in his eye every half hour.

Don't let this replace proper medical care, it is always best to see your family doctor.

Saw Palmetto - Monograph

Common Name – Saw Palmetto

Botanical Name – Serenoa

Parts Used – Fruits

Active Constituents – Fatty acids; caproic, lauric, palmitic, Polysaccharides; galactose, arabinose, uronic acid and Sterols.

So what is saw palmetto good for?

Therapeudic properties of Saw Palmetto - Diuretic, urinary antiseptic, endocrine agent.

BPH is believed to be caused by testosterone accumulation in the prostate. The testosterone is then turned into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which then causes the cells to multiply leading to the enlargement of the prostate. Saw palmetto prevents testosterone from converting to DHT. It also increases DHT's breakdown and excretion.

Dosage:

320 mg per day of saw palmetto herbal extract in capsules or tablets is recommended for early stages of BPH - which are rich in fatty acids, sterols, and esters. It may take about 6 weeks to see results with BPH.

The dry fruit can also be crushed and taken as a tea. This is weaker than the herbal extract so 5-6 grams should be taken per day.

Liquid extracts of the whole herb at 30 drops three times per day may also be effective.

Tea: put one teaspoonful of the crushed berries in a cup of water, bring to the boil simmer gently for 5 minutes and strain out the used herbs. This should be drunk three times a day.

Contraindications – Saw Palmetto is considered to be safe and has no contraindications.

Yerba Mate – Monogragh

Common Name – Yerba Mate

Botanical Name – Llex Paraguariensis

Parts Used – Leave and twigs

Active Constituents – Xanthines: caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. Minerals: potassium, magnesium and manganese.

So what is Yerba Mate good for?

1. Helps to lower cholesterol
   
2. Can assist in weight loss
   
3. Boosts energy and mental focus
   
4. Antioxidant
   
5. Anti-inflammatory
   

Yerba mate can be just as good as coffee to give you that caffeine boost but it has been found to be easier on the body then coffee.

Antioxidants found in yerba mate are anti-carcinogenic which means they can help to prevent cancer.

Yerba mate can be beneficial to anyone suffering from lipid unbalance and inflammation problems.

Yerba mate tea has been shown to lessen tendency to obesity due to a high starch diet.

How to prepare Yerba mate tea – add one heaping tablespoon of the dry herb to a cup of hot water and let it steep for five minutes. Strain out the used herb and enjoy.

Contraindications – people with high blood pressure should not drink yerba mate. People taking MAO inhibitors should not drink yerba mate. Yerba matte should not be consumed excessively